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TickData

International Futures

Introduction

The International Futures dataset by TickData provides Futures data, including price, volume, open interest, and expiry. The data covers the 3 contracts, FESX, HSI, and NKD, starting in July 1998 and is delivered on any frequency from tick to daily. This dataset is created by TickData, which negotiates directly with exchanges for their official archive and partners with real-time data providers with direct exchange connections and multiple redundant ticker plants.

This dataset also depends on the US Futures Security Master because the US Futures Security Master dataset contains information to construct continuous Futures.

For more information about the International Futures dataset, including CLI commands and pricing, see the dataset listing.

About the Provider

TickData was founded by a futures broker and a programmer in 1984 as the first company in the world to offer historical tick-by-tick prices on the futures and index markets. TickData provides access to comprehensive and detailed market data and analytics products in the financial industry covering Equities, Futures, Options, cash FOREX, and Cash Indices.

Getting Started

The following snippet demonstrates how to request data from the International Futures dataset:

hsi = self.add_future(Futures.Indices.HANG_SENG, Resolution.MINUTE).symbol            # "HSI"
fesx = self.add_future(Futures.Indices.EURO_STOXX_50, Resolution.MINUTE).symbol       # "FESX"
nkd = self.add_future(Futures.Indices.NIKKEI_225_DOLLAR, Resolution.MINUTE).symbol    # "NKD"
var hsi= AddFuture(Futures.Indices.HangSeng, Resolution.Minute).Symbol            // "HSI";
var fesx = AddFuture(Futures.Indices.EuroStoxx50, Resolution.Minute).Symbol       // "FESX";
var nkd = AddFuture(Futures.Indices.Nikkei225Dollar, Resolution.Minute).Symbol    // "NKD";

Data Summary

The following table describes the dataset properties:

PropertyValue
Start DateJuly 1998, see Supported Assets below for details
Coverage3 Contracts
Data DensityDense
ResolutionMinute, Hour, & Daily
TimezoneVarious, refer to Supported Assets below
Market HoursRegular and Extended

Volume Discrepancies

For Futures contracts trading in the US, for example, NKD, see US Futures.

Requesting Data

To add International Futures data to your algorithm, call the AddFutureadd_future method. Save a reference to the Future so you can access the data later in your algorithm.

class InternationalFuturesDataAlgorithm(QCAlgorithm):

    def initialize(self) -> None:
        self.set_start_date(2013, 12, 20) 
        self.set_end_date(2014, 2, 20) 
        self.set_cash(1000000) 
        self.universe_settings.asynchronous = True
        # Request Hang Seng Index Futures data
        future = self.add_future(Futures.Indices.HANG_SENG) 
        # Set filter to obtain the contracts expire within 90 days
        future.set_filter(0, 90)
        self.future_symbol = future.symbol
public class InternationalFuturesDataAlgorithm : QCAlgorithm
{
    private Symbol _futureSymbol;
    
    public override void Initialize()
    {
        SetStartDate(2013, 12, 20);
        SetEndDate(2014, 2, 20);
        SetCash(1000000);
        UniverseSettings.Asynchronous = True;
        // Request Hang Seng Index Futures data
        var future = AddFuture(Futures.Indices.HangSeng);
        // Set filter to obtain the contracts expire within 90 days
        future.SetFilter(0, 90);
        _futureSymbol = future.Symbol;
    }
}

For more information about creating Future subscriptions, see Requesting Data or Futures Universes.

Accessing Data

To get the current International Futures data, index the FuturesChainsfutures_chains property of the current Slice with the canonical Futures Symbol. Slice objects deliver unique events to your algorithm as they happen, but the Slice may not contain data for your Future at every time step.

def on_data(self, slice: Slice) -> None:
    # Get future chain of the canonical symbol
    chain = slice.futures_chains.get(self.future_symbol)
    if chain:
        # Iterate each contract in the future chain
        for contract in chain:
            self.log(f"{contract.symbol} price at {slice.time}: {contract.last_price}")
public override void OnData(Slice slice)
{
    // Get future chain of the canonical symbol
    if (slice.FuturesChains.TryGetValue(_futureSymbol, out var chain))
    {
        // Iterate each contract in the future chain
        foreach (var contract in chain)
        {
            Log($"{contract.Symbol} price at {slice.Time}: {contract.LastPrice}");
        }
    }
}

You can also iterate through all of the FuturesChain objects in the current Slice.

def on_data(self, slice: Slice) -> None:
    # Iterate all future chains
    for canonical_symbol, chain in slice.futures_chains.items():
        # Iterate each contract in the future chain
        for contract in chain:
            self.log(f"{contract.symbol} price at {slice.time}: {contract.last_price}")
public override void OnData(Slice slice)
{
    // Iterate all future chains
    foreach (var kvp in slice.FuturesChains)
    {
        var canonicalSymbol = kvp.Key;
        var chain = kvp.Value;
        // Iterate each contract in the future chain
        foreach (var contract in chain)
        {
            Log($"{contract.Symbol} price at {slice.Time}: {contract.LastPrice}");
        }
    }
}

For more information about accessing Futures data, see Handling Data.

Historical Data

You can get historical International Futures data in an algorithm and the Research Environment.

Historical Data In Algorithms

To get historical International Futures data in an algorithm, call the Historyhistory method with the canonical Futures Symbol or a Futures contract Symbol. If there is no data in the period you request, the history result is empty.

# DataFrame objects
contract_history_df = self.history(contract.symbol, 100, Resolution.MINUTE)
continuous_history_df = self.history(self.future_symbol,
    start=self.time - timedelta(days=15), 
    end=self.time, 
    resolution=Resolution.MINUTE, 
    fill_forward=False, 
    extended_market_hours=False,
    data_mapping_mode=DataMappingMode.OPEN_INTEREST, 
    data_normalization_mode=DataNormalizationMode.RAW, 
    contract_depth_offset=0)

# TradeBar objects
contract_history_trade_bars = self.history[TradeBar](contract.symbol, 100, Resolution.MINUTE)
continous_history_trade_bars = self.history[TradeBar](self.future_symbol, 100, Resolution.MINUTE)

# QuoteBar objects
contract_history_quote_bars = self.history[QuoteBar](contract.symbol, 100, Resolution.MINUTE)
continous_history_quote_bars = self.history[QuoteBar](self.future_symbol, 100, Resolution.MINUTE)

# Tick objects
contract_history_ticks = self.history[Tick](contract.symbol, timedelta(seconds=10), Resolution.TICK)
continous_history_ticks = self.history[Tick](self.future_symbol, timedelta(seconds=10), Resolution.TICK)
// TradeBar objects
var contractHistoryTradeBars = History(contract.Symbol, 100, Resolution.Minute);
var continuousHistoryTradeBars = History(
    symbols: new[] {_futureSymbol}, 
    start: Time - TimeSpan.FromDays(15),
    end: Time,
    resolution: Resolution.Minute,
    fillForward: False,
    extendedMarketHours: False,
    dataMappingMode: DataMappingMode.OpenInterest,
    dataNormalizationMode: DataNormalizationMode.Raw,
    contractDepthOffset: 0);

// QuoteBar objects
var contractHistoryQuoteBars = History<QuoteBar>(contract.Symbol, 100, Resolution.Minute);
var continuousHistoryQuoteBars = History<QuoteBar>(_futureSymbol, 100, Resolution.Minute);

// Tick objects
var contractHistoryTicks = History<Tick>(contract.Symbol, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10), Resolution.Tick);
var continuousHistoryTicks = History<Tick>(_futureSymbol, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10), Resolution.Tick);

For more information about historical data in algorithms, see History Requests. For more information about the price adjustments for continuous contracts, see Continous Contracts.

Historical Data In Research

To get historical International Futures data in the Research Environment for an entire Futures chain, call the FutureHistoryfuture_history method with the canonical Future Symbol.

qb = QuantBook()
future = qb.add_future(Futures.Indices.HANG_SENG) 
future.set_filter(0, 90)
history = qb.future_history(future.symbol, datetime(2020, 6, 1), datetime(2020, 6, 5))
history_df = history.data_frame
all_history = history.get_all_data()
expiries = history.get_expiry_dates()
var qb = new QuantBook();
var future = qb.AddFuture(Futures.Indices.HangSeng);
future.SetFilter(0, 90);
var history = qb.FutureHistory(future.Symbol, new DateTime(2020, 6, 1), new DateTime(2020, 6, 5));
    
var contracts = history.SelectMany(x => x.OptionChains.SelectMany(y => y.Value.Contracts.Keys)).Distinct().ToList();
var expiries = contracts.Select(x => x.ID.Date).Distinct().ToList();

To get historical data for a single International Futures contract or the continuous Futures contract, call the Historyhistory method like you would in an algorithm but on the QuantBook object. For more information about historical data in the Research Environment, see Futures.

Supported Assets

The following table shows the available Futures:

TickerFutureStart DateTime ZoneCurrency
HSIHang Seng Index FuturesJan 2010Asia/Hong KongHKD
FESXEURO STOXX 50 Index FuturesJul 1998Europe/BerlinEUR
NKDNikkei 225 Index FuturesJan 2007America/ChicagoUSD

Example Applications

The International Futures dataset enables you to design Futures strategies accurately. Examples include the following strategies:

  • Buying the Futures contract with the most open interest to reduce slippage and market impact
  • Trade speculation on an International Index
  • Trading bull calendar spreads to reduce volatility and margin requirements

Classic Algorithm Example -- HSI Futures

The following example algorithm uses ZigZag to determine the trend of Hang Seng Index. To trade the Indices, we make use of the HSI Futures.

class InternationalFuturesDataAlgorithm(QCAlgorithm):
    def initialize(self) -> None:
        self.set_start_date(2021, 1, 1)
        self.set_end_date(2021, 7, 1)
        # Set the time zone to HKT to make it more comparable with the exchange.
        self.set_time_zone(TimeZones.HONG_KONG)
        # Set the account currency as HKD to trade HSI Futures.
        self.set_account_currency("HKD", 1000000)
        # Seed the last price of the contracts for filling.
        self.set_security_initializer(BrokerageModelSecurityInitializer(self.brokerage_model, FuncSecuritySeeder(self.get_last_known_prices)))

        # Request HSI Futures to trade. 
        # Note that we will trade the contract with the highest open interest for liquidity.
        self.hsi_future = self.add_future(
            Futures.Indices.HANG_SENG,
            extended_market_hours=True,
            data_mapping_mode=DataMappingMode.LAST_TRADING_DAY,
            contract_depth_offset=0
        )
        # Request the corresponding underlying Index for feeding indicator for trade signal generation.
        hsi_index = self.add_index("HSI").symbol

        # Create a ZigZag indicator to trade Hang Seng Index price pivot points.
        self._zz = self.zz(hsi_index, 0.15, 5, Resolution.DAILY)
        # Warm up indicator for immediate readiness to trade.
        self.warm_up_indicator(hsi_index, self._zz, Resolution.DAILY)

    def on_data(self, slice: Slice) -> None:
        # Only place trade if the Future contracts is in market opening hours to avoid stale fills.
        if self.is_market_open(self.hsi_future.symbol) and self._zz.is_ready:
            pivot = self._zz.pivot_type
            # If the last pivot point is a low point, the current trend is increasing after this low point.
            if pivot == PivotPointType.LOW and not self.portfolio[self.hsi_future.symbol].is_long:
                self.set_holdings(self.hsi_future.mapped, 0.2)
            # If the last pivot point is a high point, the current trend is decreasing after this high point.
            elif pivot == PivotPointType.HIGH and not self.portfolio[self.hsi_future.symbol].is_short:
                self.set_holdings(self.hsi_future.mapped, -0.2)

        # Handle rollover in case the current mapped contract changes.
        for _, changed_event in slice.symbol_changed_events.items():
            old_symbol = changed_event.old_symbol
            new_symbol = self.add_future_contract(changed_event.new_symbol).symbol
            quantity = self.portfolio[old_symbol].quantity
            # Rolling over: to liquidate any position of the old mapped contract and switch to the newly mapped contract
            self.liquidate(old_symbol)
            if quantity != 0:
                self.market_order(new_symbol, quantity)
public class InternationalFuturesDataAlgorithm : QCAlgorithm
{
    private Future _hsiFuture;
    private ZigZag _zz;

    public override void Initialize()
    {
        SetStartDate(2021, 1, 1);
        SetEndDate(2021, 7, 1);
        // Set the time zone to HKT to make it more comparable with the exchange.
        SetTimeZone(TimeZones.HongKong);
        // Set the account currency as HKD to trade HSI Futures.
        SetAccountCurrency("HKD", 1000000);

        // Seed the last price of the contracts for filling.
        SetSecurityInitializer(new BrokerageModelSecurityInitializer(BrokerageModel, new FuncSecuritySeeder(GetLastKnownPrices)));

        // Request HSI Futures to trade. 
        // Note that we will trade the contract with the highest open interest for liquidity.
        _hsiFuture = AddFuture(
            Futures.Indices.HangSeng,
            extendedMarketHours: True,
            dataMappingMode: DataMappingMode.LastTradingDay,
            contractDepthOffset: 0
        );
        // Request the corresponding underlying index for feeding indicators for trade signal generation.
        var hsiIndex = AddIndex("HSI").Symbol;

        // Create a ZigZag indicator to trade Hang Seng Index price pivot points.
        _zz = ZZ(hsiIndex, 0.15m, 5, Resolution.Daily);
        // Warm up indicator for immediate readiness to trade.
        WarmUpIndicator(hsiIndex, _zz, Resolution.Daily);
    }

    public override void OnData(Slice slice)
    {
        // Only place trade if the Future contracts is in market opening hours to avoid stale fills.
        if (IsMarketOpen(_hsiFuture.Symbol) && _zz.IsReady)
        {
            var pivot = _zz.PivotType;
            // If the last pivot point is low, the current trend is increasing after this low point.
            if (pivot == PivotPointType.Low && !Portfolio[_hsiFuture.Symbol].IsLong)
            {
                SetHoldings(_hsiFuture.Mapped, 0.2m);
            }
            // If the last pivot point is high, the current trend decreases after this high point.
            else if (pivot == PivotPointType.High && !Portfolio[_hsiFuture.Symbol].IsShort)
            {
                SetHoldings(_hsiFuture.Mapped, -0.2m);
            }
        }

        // Handle rollover in case the current mapped contract changes.
        foreach (var (_, changedEvent) in slice.SymbolChangedEvents)
        {
            var oldSymbol = changedEvent.OldSymbol;
            var newSymbol = AddFutureContract(changedEvent.NewSymbol).Symbol;
            var quantity = Portfolio[oldSymbol].Quantity;
            // Rolling over: to liquidate any position of the old mapped contract and switch to the newly mapped contract
            Liquidate(oldSymbol);
            if (quantity != 0)
            {
                MarketOrder(newSymbol, quantity);
            }
        }
    }
}

Classic Algorithm Example -- FESX Futures

The following example algorithm uses MACD to determine the trend of the EuroStoxx50 Index. To trade the Index, we make use of the FESX Futures.

class InternationalFuturesDataAlgorithm(QCAlgorithm):
    def initialize(self) -> None:
        self.set_start_date(2021, 1, 1)
        self.set_end_date(2021, 7, 1)
        # Set the time zone to Berlin to make it more comparable with the exchange.
        self.set_time_zone(TimeZones.BERLIN)
        # Set the account currency as EUR to trade FSX Futures.
        self.set_account_currency("EUR", 1000000)
        # Seed the last price of the contracts for filling.
        self.set_security_initializer(BrokerageModelSecurityInitializer(self.brokerage_model, FuncSecuritySeeder(self.get_last_known_prices)))

        # Request FESX Futures to trade. 
        # Note that we will trade the contract with the highest open interest for liquidity.
        self.fesx_future = self.add_future(
            Futures.Indices.EURO_STOXX_50,
            extended_market_hours=True,
            data_mapping_mode=DataMappingMode.LAST_TRADING_DAY,
            contract_depth_offset=0
        )
        # Request the corresponding underlying Index for feeding indicator for trade signal generation.
        fesx_index = self.add_index("SX5E").symbol

        # Create a MACD indicator to trade EuroStoxx trend changes on the fast-slow term trend convergence.
        self._macd = self.macd(fesx_index, 12, 26, 9, Resolution.DAILY)
        # Warm up indicator for immediate readiness to trade.
        self.warm_up_indicator(fesx_index, self._macd, Resolution.DAILY)

    def on_data(self, slice: Slice) -> None:
        # Only place trade if the Future contracts is in market opening hours to avoid stale fills.
        if self.is_market_open(self.fesx_future.symbol) and self._macd.is_ready:
            # To identify a sensitive change in trend, use the change in the histogram value of the MACD.
            histogram = self._macd.histogram
            histogram_chg = histogram.current.value - histogram.previous.value
            # Positive histogram value increasing means the fast trend is rising faster than the slow trend, indicating a strong uptrend.
            if histogram_chg > 0 and histogram.current.value > 0 and not self.portfolio[self.fesx_future.symbol].is_long:
                self.set_holdings(self.fesx_future.mapped, 0.2)
            # Negative histogram value decreasing means the slow trend is dropping faster than the fast trend, indicating a strong downtrend.
            elif histogram_chg < 0 and histogram.current.value < 0 and not self.portfolio[self.fesx_future.symbol].is_short:
                self.set_holdings(self.fesx_future.mapped, -0.2)

        # Handle rollover in case the current mapped contract changes.
        for _, changed_event in slice.symbol_changed_events.items():
            old_symbol = changed_event.old_symbol
            new_symbol = self.add_future_contract(changed_event.new_symbol).symbol
            quantity = self.portfolio[old_symbol].quantity
            # Rolling over: to liquidate any position of the old mapped contract and switch to the newly mapped contract
            self.liquidate(old_symbol)
            if quantity != 0:
                self.market_order(new_symbol, quantity)
public class InternationalFuturesDataAlgorithm : QCAlgorithm
{
    private Future _fesxFuture;
    private MovingAverageConvergenceDivergence _macd;

    public override void Initialize()
    {
        SetStartDate(2021, 1, 1);
        SetEndDate(2021, 7, 1);
        // Set the time zone to Berlin to make it more comparable with the exchange.
        SetTimeZone(TimeZones.Berlin);
        // Set the account currency as EUR to trade FSX Futures.
        SetAccountCurrency("EUR", 1000000);
        // Seed the last price of the contracts for filling.
        SetSecurityInitializer(new BrokerageModelSecurityInitializer(BrokerageModel, new FuncSecuritySeeder(GetLastKnownPrices)));

        // Request FESX Futures to trade. 
        // Note that we will trade the contract with the highest open interest for liquidity.
        _fesxFuture = AddFuture(
            Futures.Indices.EuroStoxx50,
            extendedMarketHours: True,
            dataMappingMode: DataMappingMode.LastTradingDay,
            contractDepthOffset: 0
        );
        // Request the corresponding underlying Index for feeding indicator for trade signal generation.
        var fesxIndex = AddIndex("SX5E").Symbol;

        // Create a MACD indicator to trade EuroStoxx trend changes on the fast-slow term trend convergence.
        _macd = MACD(fesxIndex, 12, 26, 9, resolution: Resolution.Daily);
        // Warm up indicator for immediate readiness to trade.
        WarmUpIndicator(fesxIndex, _macd, Resolution.Daily);
    }

    public override void OnData(Slice slice)
    {
        // Only place trade if the Future contracts is in market opening hours to avoid stale fills.
        if (IsMarketOpen(_fesxFuture.Symbol) && _macd.IsReady)
        {
            // To identify a sensitive change in trend, use the change in the histogram value of the MACD.
            var histogram = _macd.Histogram;
            var histogramChg = histogram - histogram.Previous;
            // Positive histogram value increasing means the fast trend is rising faster than the slow trend, indicating a strong uptrend.
            if (histogramChg > 0 && histogram > 0 && !Portfolio[_fesxFuture.Symbol].IsLong)
            {
                SetHoldings(_fesxFuture.Mapped, 0.2m);
            }
            // Negative histogram value decreasing means the slow trend is dropping faster than the fast trend, indicating a strong downtrend.
            else if (histogramChg < 0 && histogram < 0 && !Portfolio[_fesxFuture.Symbol].IsShort)
            {
                SetHoldings(_fesxFuture.Mapped, -0.2m);
            }
        }

        // Handle rollover in case the current mapped contract changes.
        foreach (var (_, changedEvent) in slice.SymbolChangedEvents)
        {
            var oldSymbol = changedEvent.OldSymbol;
            var newSymbol = AddFutureContract(changedEvent.NewSymbol).Symbol;
            var quantity = Portfolio[oldSymbol].Quantity;
            // Rolling over: to liquidate any position of the old mapped contract and switch to the newly mapped contract
            Liquidate(oldSymbol);
            if (quantity != 0)
            {
                MarketOrder(newSymbol, quantity);
            }
        }
    }
}

Data Point Attributes

The International Futures dataset provides Future, FuturesChain, and OpenInterest objects. To configure the continuous Future settings, use the DataNormalizationMode and DataMappingMode enumerations.

Future Attributes

Future objects have the following attributes:

FuturesChain Attributes

FuturesChain objects have the following attributes:

OpenInterest Attributes

OpenInterest objects have the following attributes:

DataNormalizationMode Values

The DataNormalizationMode enumeration has the following values:

DataMappingMode Values

The DataMappingMode enumeration has the following values:

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